


Walkin' in Virginia

by merryghoul



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Political Campaigns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 05:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4007746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merryghoul/pseuds/merryghoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mellie finally gets her way with one aspect of her campaign.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walkin' in Virginia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raktajinos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raktajinos/gifts).



> Story inspired by [this video.](https://youtu.be/9EYARpnGkto)

It seems that Mellie appears out of nowhere in the offices of Olivia Pope and Associates. Given that what's left of OPA is trying to stop Rowan and B13 for good these days, the "fixing" they do for some of their clients seems like an afterthought. 

"I know you don't want to work in the White House anymore, but I need your help," Mellie says, looking straight at Olivia. "I think you can get some people working on my campaign to help me."

 

Cyrus grips a chair in the Oval Office. Mellie, Fitz, Elizabeth, and Olivia are also in the Oval Office. Unsurprisingly, he's upset. "Let me get this straight," he says to Mellie. "You want to make a campaign video where suffragettes and Beyoncé pop out of various places around in the world and meet you in some meadow with unicorns while you climb into Wonder Woman's invisible jet and meet them there? Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

Elizabeth shakes her head. "We don't have the money, Mellie."

"You're running for a senatorial seat," Fitz adds. "What does any of the video have to do with the state of Virginia? It sounds like you're trying to run for president."

"And that's what's wrong with your proposed campaign ad," Olivia says.

Mellie gasps. "I brought you in this meeting to help me, not to side with everyone else."

"It's not focused enough for a campaign ad that's targeted at Virginia voters," Olivia continues. "And especially for women in Virginia. Instead, we focus on getting images of famous Virginian women, coming from different counties. People like Dolley Madison--"

"Really, Olivia?" Mellie says.

"We're not focusing on her furnishing the White House or that she lived on a plantation with slaves. We only highlight her saving the portrait of George Washington during the War of 1814. We focus on Patsy Cline, Katie Couric, Nikki Giovanni. You want an artist from Virginia underscoring the video throughout. All of these people are converging onto a park in Richmond." Olivia points at Mellie. "You stand in front of these women and say, 'Why don't you join the party?' Other people join the women already assembled, and then you air your 'paid for' statement."

"What about the invisible jet and the unicorns?"

"No one's going to take you seriously with an invisible jet and unicorns, Mellie," Olivia says. "Even the comics industry doesn't treat invisible jets seriously these days."

"We still don't have enough money to produce the ad," Elizabeth says.

"You'll get the money to make the ad. And if you don't have enough, that's when you send an email asking for a donation of one hundred dollars or more to the Mellie Grant for Virginia Senate campaign for a cameo appearance in the ad. Trust me, there are people out there who want to see Mellie Grant become a Senator for Virginia."

 

The realized Senate ad airs in Virginia markets. Missy Elliot is singing a cover of "Walkin' After Midnight" that she co-produced with Timbaland at the start of the ad. A picture of Montpellier, the Madison estate, is juxtaposed with an actress dressed up as Dolley Madison inside the White House, yelling various muted commands. A picture of Patsy Cline's house is juxtaposed with Patsy Cline performing "Crazy" at the Grand Ole Opry. A picture of the court at the University of Virginia, known as The Lawn, is juxtaposed with stock footage of Katie Couric. A picture of Burruss Hall, an academic building at Virginia Tech, is juxtaposed with Nikki Giovanni giving a speech.

In Richmond, women are walking from various points at Byrd Park. They all meet around one end of Byrd Park, in front of a lake. Mellie is standing in front of them. When they stop, Mellie says, directly into a camera, "Won't you join us?" As other people join the women already assembled, the words "Approved by Mellie Grant. Paid for by Grant for Virginia Senate" appear on screen.

 

After the ad, which is titled "Walkin' in Virginia," airs in Virginia, Mellie's approval rating in pre-election polls jumps up. Elizabeth hears about the polling results, but she doesn't tell Mellie immediately. She pretends she misses the news because she went out for lunch.

Cyrus is the first to tell Mellie about her higher polling results. He find Mellie walking up and down the White House halls. "I can't believe it. Your ad is resonating with female voters in Virginia. We're up to fifty-six percent in Gallop, fifty-seven in Pew, and FiveThirtyEight has us at fifty-eight percent right now."

"I told you my campaign ad would work. Gotta go, Cyrus. I have to see someone."

Mellie plans to go to OPA and thank Olivia personally if she's in the office. Olivia might have screwed Fitz in the past, and Mellie will never be over it at all. But when it comes to political ambitions, there's no better ally to have than Olivia Pope.


End file.
